Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval
Series: Caraval, #1
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Date Published: January 31, 2017
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . 

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever. 

My Thoughts: 

Phantom Kiss by Chloe Neill

Title: Phantom Kiss
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, #12.5
Author: Chloe Neill
Publisher: InterMix
Date Published: January 17, 2017
4 Stars

n this all-new novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight Marked, Merit, Ethan, and the rest of Cadogan House crew discover that not all undead creatures are kindred spirits…
 
Vampires generally aren’t afraid of things that go bump in the night, but Merit and Ethan are extra jumpy after a recent attack by a dark sorcerer. So when they learn that someone is messing with graves in Chicago’s cemeteries, stealing skulls and snatching souls, they fear that their powerful foe might be back for even more magical vengeance.
 
But after a specter begins haunting Cadogan House—and targeting vampires—they realize that they're being taunted by an altogether different sort of monster. A ghoulish villain straight out of the Windy City’s urban legends is on the prowl—and he won’t stop until he’s killed again...
 
Includes a sneak peek of Blade Bound, the epic final novel in the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series.

My Thoughts:

Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

Title: Midnight Marked
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, #12
Author: Chloe Neill
Publisher: NAL
Date Published: March 1, 2016
4 Stars

As the Chicagoland Vampires series continues, Merit and Ethan find themselves in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where winning may require the ultimate sacrifice...

A vampire’s grudges don’t stay dead long...

Merit is one of Chicago's most skilled vampire warriors; these days, she doesn't scare easily. But she and Master vampire Ethan have made a new and powerful enemy, and he won't give up until he owns the Windy City.

With his last plan thwarted, he's more determined than ever to watch Cadogan burn. Ethan has put the House's vampires on high alert, but their enemy will stop at nothing, including pitting vampire against vampire...

In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the stakes are life or death—and winning might mean sacrificing everything...

My Thoughts:

Review: Perfekt Control by S.T. Bende

Title: Perfekt Control
Series: The Ære Saga, # 2
(should be read in order)
Author: S.T. Bende
Date Published: February 9, 2016

Brynn Aksel is a valkyrie—a battle goddess tasked with protecting both the God of War and the future of Asgard. She fends off giants and dark elves with an iron fist, a glossy smile, and no less than perfekt control. She’s focused one-hundred-percent on rising through the valkyrie ranks, and not at all on her lifelong crush on Henrik Andersson—the one guy in all the realms who could be her undoing.

Henrik serves as War’s other bodyguard, and he’s too focused on protecting their shared charge to realize that Brynn’s a girl. When an unprecedented surge of darkness abducts the Goddess of Love, Brynn’s already-steely focus is singularly directed on her new assignment—accompany Henrik to recover the realms’ source of light before the cosmos descends into chaos.

While battling demons, dragons, and the not-quite-dead, it becomes clear that immortality does not equal invincibility. And when Hel herself puts a hit on Brynn, the valkyrie has to decide if staying in control is worth losing everything . . . or if it’s time to rule the realms.

Review: An Ember in the Ashes

Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill- Audio
Date Published: April 28, 2015
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Narrators: Fiona Hardingham & Steve West

Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review: Deviate by Tracy Clark

Title: Deviate
Series: The Light Key Trilogy, #2
Author: Tracy Clark
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Date Published: March 3, 2015

Tormented after a daring escape, Cora Sandoval must find a way to stop the Arrazi from murdering innocent people and from violating, using, and killing the Scintilla for their powers. She must also accept one bitter betrayal: Finn Doyle—the Irish boy who has both a piece of Cora's heart and soul—is Arrazi...
On the verge of extinction and sought by those who would either consume or destroy them, Cora and the remaining Scintilla survivors must solve the mystery of The Light Key. If they fail, the truth will stay buried forever and mankind will pay the ultimate price.
No longer will she hide.
No longer will her loved ones be hunted.
And she will have her vengeance...even if she shatters her heart in the process.

Wolf of Stone by Quinn Loftis {Excerpt, Review, and Giveaway}

Wolf of Stone (The Gypsy Healer Series, Book 2)

 

by Quinn Loftis

---

Synopsis

Dalton Black, a Canis lupis full of guilt and anger, never expected to find his true mate. Perhaps already slipping into madness, he had resigned himself to the fact that he would walk the earth without the other half of his soul. He was convinced that his sins were enough to keep the Great Luna from giving him such a blessing. He knew it was probably better that way. His past was as dark as his name and after three centuries of running from it, the memories were finally catching up to him. But all of those resignations evaporated when he saw her broken and bloodied body lying on that alter. Though the man didn’t recognize her, the wolf did. Through battle and bloodshed he was able to save her from the evil that held her captive, but now he would need her to save him from himself.
Jewel Stone was wholly unaware of the ancient bloodlines of Gypsy Healers, mates to Canis lupis and protectors of the packs – much less that she carried that blood herself. But when a beautiful but deadly woman showed up in her home and ripped her from her realm, she knew her life would never be the same. Her mother, Gem, a fortune teller, had warned her that something was coming, that her life was about to change dramatically, but like everyone else, Jewel had dismissed her as a crazy person.
Jewel was the laughing stock of her school simply because Gem was her mother. And up until now, her life was one big disappointment after another. Instead of heeding her mother’s warning, she hid in her books, burying herself behind knowledge, both fact and fiction. She escaped into worlds created by others and filled her mind with facts of every kind in an effort to push away the hurtful words that others bombarded her with. Despite all of her knowledge and all of her fantastical stories, she never dreamed her own future would be full of adventure, danger, passion, and the possibility of unconditional love. As she lay unconscious after her first bloody encounter in the fae realm, her only chance of survival lay in the hands of a man scarred by his past, disfigured both emotionally and physically, and beyond the reach of any who had tried to help him.
Can two broken people, who carry the other half of each other’s souls, span the chasm between them and restore the innocence ripped from both their lives? Will they let the promise of healing love overcome the difference in age and experience, and the separation of species and realms? Or will they give in to the fear and doubt that would keep them from one another for eternity?

Available On

Amazon | B&N | iTunes

 

 

 

Excerpt:

 

 Jewel could feel him. She didn’t know how she knew it was him, other than the warmth and

wholeness that flooded her from his nearness.

“It seems like forever since I last saw you,” Dalton’s voice penetrated the deep slumber she had fallen into.

“It can’t have been that long,” she told him and was shocked to see that in her mind’s eye he was

there standing before her. “Is this a dream?”

He chuckled and the sound sent ripples of pleasure down every nerve ending in her body. "That

was a new feeling," she thought. It was something she had read about in her many romance novels,

but not anything she had experienced firsthand―until now.

“You know it is not. We are talking through our bond.”

“But how can I see you. It’s as if you are really here before me, like I could just reach out and touch you.”

“Why don’t you?” His sultry voice dropped an octave and Jewel was pretty sure she had just

swooned for the first time.

“How?”

“Our mental bond can be used for much more than just words,” he told her.

Jewel was pretty sure that if she could blush while in a coma, then she had done just that. The

implication of his words was loud and clear.

He took a step closer to her and another until he was standing less than three feet away. He was

huge, at least a foot taller than her five-foot-four inches. She had to tilt her head back to look up at

his ruggedly handsome face. It was the first time she was seeing him, and she couldn’t understand

how one such as him could have picked her. He had dark brown hair that was messy in all the right

ways. His cool, pale blue eyes seemed to see straight into her soul, and she felt more vulnerable than

if she were naked before him. His strong jaw and high cheekbones were too hard to be considered

beautiful; he was masculine in every sense of the word. He seemed so capable as he stood there

with his shoulders back, his muscles bulging in his dark shirt and jeans. He was everything she never

thought she could have, not her, with the strawberry locks that she kept short, just below her ears

framing her face.

She was just plain Jewel, nothing nearly as glamorous as her name, and yet the male before

her claimed to be hers. She was pretty sure that it must all be something she had concocted in her

comatose state. Her reality would never be one so full of excitement and well, truth be told, utter

sexiness.

“You find me to be sexy?” he asked her as his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. His lips

quirked up in a crooked smile, and she was pretty sure that if she never tasted those lips she would

die of disappointment.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

“I thought you were going to try and give me some privacy,” she scolded.

“Yes, well that was before I realized how fascinating your thoughts would be.”

“Are you shameless?”

He laughed. “When it comes to you, apparently yes I am.”

Well, she thought, what was she supposed to say to that?

“I want to touch you,” he told her and again she was taken aback by his forwardness. The need in

his eyes was completely unmasked, and she wondered at his ability to be so open with her. Wasn’t

he afraid of rejection?

“You need me just as much as I need you; why should I be worried you will reject me?” He held his hand out to her and it took all of her limited self-control not to throw herself in his huge arms.

 

About Quinn Loftis

Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, 2 sons, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.

Stalk Quinn

Website
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

 My Thoughts:
 

*please note that if you have not read the prior books in the Grey Wolves series, there might be some spoilers up ahead.  The first book, Prince of Wolves, is currently free at most eBook retailers.



I am a big fan of Quinn Loftis' Grey Wolves series. Whenever one of her new books come out, I tend to drop whatever it is that I am currently reading at the moment, and start on her book right away. I have become deeply invested in the world that she's created and her characters have become like a second family to me.
In case you don't know, The Healers series is a spin-off to the Grey Wolves series. It takes place in the same world, however, we get to meet some new faces. We also get more time with Costin and Sally, who are my favorite characters in either series! By the way, I'm claiming Costin as my book boyfriend, just so you all know ;)
When we last left Peri and the gang, one of our new gypsies, Jewel, was not doing so well. Dalton was in a sense of denial and had been dealing with some deep issues. Wolf of Stone takes place soon after, Into the Fae, left off, and it had somewhat of a different vibe than Quinn's other books. Both of the main characters have some difficult issues that they are struggling with, and have experienced so much pain in their lives. Even though this book is not told in first person point of view, I really felt what Dalton was thinking and what he went through. My heart really went out to him because I felt his struggle.
As I mentioned, we get to meet some new characters in Wolf of Stone. I'm looking forward to getting to know them a little more! I love that each of Quinn's characters are so different, and often provide comic relief.
I was kind of bummed when it was over because 1) I was super invested in the story, and 2)  there were three things I was dying to know. I have faith that Ms. Loftis will address these in her next Gypsy Healers book. I know I cannot wait to read it!

Giveaway!

Giveaway!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Trailer for Wolf of Stone

 

 

Review: Scintillate by Tracy Clark

Title: Scintillate (The Light Key Trilogy, #1)
Author: Tracy Clark
Date Published: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
ebook given by publisher in exchange for an honest review


From Goodreads:

A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.

Cora Sandoval’s mother disappeared when she was five and they were living in Ireland. Since then, her dad has been more than overprotective, and Cora is beginning to chafe under his confines. But even more troubling is the colorful light she suddenly sees around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—instead, she glows a brilliant, sparkling silver.

As she realizes the danger associated with these strange auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student who makes her feel safe. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother orders him home to Ireland upon hearing he’s fallen in love. After a fight with her father, Cora flees to Ireland, both to follow Finn and to look for her missing mother.

There she meets another silver-haloed person and discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…and end her life.

Scintillate is the first book in this lush and exciting new trilogy, full of romance, adventure and metaphysical mystery.



My Thoughts:

Wow! I really enjoyed Scintillate.  I'm usually pretty leery about reading some YA books, especially if there is a slight chance that there will be a love triangle involved. However, I am such a sucker for Irish folklore (and hot Irish guys), that I knew that I had to give Scintillate a shot. I'm so glad that I decided to read it! It grabbed my attention from the very beginning.

The story begins with seventeen year old, Cora, battling an unusually high fever. While she is battling her sickness, she hears her dad and step-mother talking about her mother who has been missing for twelve years, and becomes alarmed when her dad (a research scientist) draws some of her blood to study. Cora also sees a strange, creepy man watching her and making her feel lethargic, even from a distance. She later discovers various colored lights that surround the people she comes in contact with. After having these strange things happen to her, she decides to do some of her own research to find answers.

I liked Cora's character. Although smart and intuitive, she could also be pretty impulsive, and tended to jump into things without fully thinking of the consequences. She was definitely determined young lady. I have to say, I fell in love with Finn from the get-go.  He was very sweet and compassionate...and a musician to boot! I thought that there was something fishy about their instant attraction, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. The author really managed to surprise me, which isn't something that is easy to do these days.

 I was so stoked that part of this story took place in Ireland! I loved hearing about the pubs and the scenery. One of my dreams is to go to Ireland, and this book made me want to travel there even more badly.

The Scintaillate and the Arrazi are a new concept for me, and I found them to be very interesting and intriguing! I'm really looking forward to reading more about them. I cannot wait for the next book to come out. I definitely need more Finn, and I do believe Giovanni may have some more explaining to do.

Rating: 4 Stars!

*right now Scintillate is only $0.99 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! What a deal!



Review: Taste of Darkness by Maria V.Snyder

Title: Taste of Darkness (Healer, #3)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Date Published: December 31, 2013
Published: Harlequin MIRA

From Goodreads:

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

 My Thoughts:

I've really enjoyed Maria V. Snyder's Healer series. Taste of Darkness is the last book in the trilogy.  The previous book, Scent of Magic, left off with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was a bit nervous to read it.  Although parts of it seemed a bit drawn out and some parts were rushed, I really did enjoy the story overall.

It's very difficult to do this review without spoilers, so we'll just say that Kerrick and Avry have spent a  lot of time apart. They are in the middle of a war, so they really haven't had a moments peace together.  I kept feeling so bad for Avry because most of the time, she didn't know where Kerrick and certain friends were, nor did she know whether they were alive or dead.  There were other times when I felt like she was taken advantage of.  Avry handled it all like a champ, and proved how strong she was.

I'm always leery of reading the last book of a series. They're usually hit or miss for me. However, Taste of Darkness leaned towards the hit side. I only wish there was a little bit more closure and answers at the end.  Things just seemed to wrap up so suddenly,  despite the overwhelming odds.  There was also a particular character that I had come to know and love, who just seemed to fall of the radar three fourths of the way through the book. We never learned whether he lived or died.

With that said, I cannot decide if my favorite thing about this series is the world building or the characters. It's a close call. I love the idea of a world where people have magical abilities. I think it would be interesting to be a forest mage or a healer. Of course, it would also be scary to be a death magician, or to have contact with a person who uses it for evil purposes.

The characters in this series are unforgettable. I think my two favorites are the monkeys- Loren and Quain! I loved the comic relief they provided. They were also fiercely loyal and protective of Avry.  Avry was an inspiring heroine. She was tough, yet compassionate, and always put others before herself.

In the end, I am very glad that I read this series. It's one that I can see myself re-reading at some point, and  I cannot wait to read even more books by Maria V. Snyder!

Rating: 4 Stars



Book Review: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

 

Title: Clean Sweep (Inkeeper Chronicles, #1)

Author: Ilona Andrews

Date Published: December 2, 2013

Publisher: Ilona Andrews

I received this arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

 

From Goodreads:

 

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

 

My Thoughts:

 

I am a big fan of this writing couple! (For those of you who don't know, Ilona and her husband, Gordon, write these amazing books together).  I absolutely adore their Kate Daniels and The Edge series.  There's just something distinct and remarkable about their writing style, characters, and settings. So when I learned that there was going to be a new series, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it. 

 

 

Let me tell you...Clean Sweep did not disappoint! Right away, I was sucked into this unique story about a young woman named Dina who is an innkeeper of a magical house for aliens. The house has human mannerisms as well as a deep connection with Dina. It needs her in order for its magic to thrive. When Dina is inside of the house, she can do the most fascinating and uncanny spells. 

 

Like Andrews' other series, this book is just filled with the wry and sometimes sarcastic humor that I adore.   I still chuckle when I think of some of the banter and scenes featuring Sean, Arland, and Beast.  The characters were quirky, yet fearsome. I quickly developed a book crush on Sean- Dina's new neighbor. He was brave, responsible, and unfortunately, unaware of all of the supernaturals  surrounding him.

 

Dana was a great heroine! She was intelligent, resourceful and fierce. She took her job as innkeeper very seriously, and did not let her head (or heart), get sidetracked when there were people that needed protecting.

 

 

This book was definitely fast paced. I was kind of bummed when I finished reading - not only  because it ended on a little cliffhanger (there's definitely room for more adventures and more problems to solve), but because I got so attached to the characters! There was one character in particular, who shall remain anonymous, that I really wanted to find inner peace and happiness.

 

I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a nice, paranormal/urban fantasy, with some good humor and great characters!

 

 

 

 

5 Stars